1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to automatic and semi-automatic seeders. More specifically, the invention relates to a seeder for use in the bedding plant industry which will reliably pick up seeds from a seed tray and deposit them in a predetermined array into a flat or into peat cups.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The problem of getting millions of seedlings planted in a short period of time has forced the industry into mechanizing this operation. Horticulturists have recognized that direct seeding by machine can greatly cut labor costs in the initial planting of the seeds. By initially planting the seeds in individual peat cups, the step of transplanting the plants from flats to peat cups is eliminated. Thus, there is not setback in plant growth due to transplanting, and the plants are not contaminated by the handling
U.S. Pat. No. 2,546,838 to Carl H. Tasche describes a seeder with a suction header which has a coordinate array of downwardly projecting suction tubes. Upon producing a suction in the header, the tubes pick up seeds from a seed tray. The header is then slidably moved on a horizontal track to a position over a flat where the suction is cut off and the tubes deposit the seeds in a coordinate array. U.S. Pat. No. 2,455,701 describes a seed counting machine using a similar principle.
Jiffy Products of America of West Chicago, Illinois, sells a Fricke-Jiffy Seeder which is designed to pick up and distribute through an arrangement of tubes a maximum of 96 seeds into a large flat. The Fricke-Jiffy Seeder is described in an article in the September 1970 issue of Grower Talks magazine published by Geo. J. Ball, Inc., of West Chicago, Ill. 60185.
The previously described prior art devices incorporate hollow suction tubes which point downward and are mechanically lowered into the seed tray to pick up seeds. It has been found that in normal operation, a certain percentage, around ten percent, of the tubes will not pick up a seed in a given cycle. The operator has no way visually inspect the ends of the tubes to determine whether each tube has picked up a seed. Furthermore, when the seed tray empties to less than one-half full, the seeds in the tray tend to pack into a hard layer and thus become much harder to pick up. Periodic refilling and stirring of the seeds is necessary to alleviate this problem. This packing phenomenon occurs most noticeably with "fuzzy" tomato seeds.
Thus, in this era of increasing labor cost, there is an acute need for an improved semi-automatic seeder for the small to medium sized nursery which allows essentially 100 percent pick up of seeds and which allows the operator to view each suction hole to assure that a seed has been picked up by each hole. Also, the seeder should be operable with a low level of seeds in the seed tray to prevent the unnecessary waste of unused seeds. The present invention provides a seeder capable of accomplishing these objectives.